Grace is the Key part 2 (Romans 15:22-33)
What is your dream? If you could do anything you wanted for God what would it be? Believe it or not God has created and equipped you and placed you exactly where He wants you at this time. In God's grace we can think about what we would want to do for God. It is not wrong to dream big dreams for God. Just make sure you keep Him the focus. His grace will enable you to do more than you can imagine. But it is always His work.WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
- Aug 13, 2023Grace is the Key part 2 (Romans 15:22-33)
Grace is the Key part 2 (Romans 15:22-33)What is your dream? If you could do anything you wanted for God what would it be? Believe it or not God has created and equipped you and placed you exactly where He wants you at this time. In God's grace we can think about what we would want to do for God. It is not wrong to dream big dreams for God. Just make sure you keep Him the focus. His grace will enable you to do more than you can imagine. But it is always His work.
- Aug 6, 2023Grace is the Key (part 1 – Romans 15:14-21)
Grace is the Key (part 1 – Romans 15:14-21)
Rarely do any of us really feel we are "good enough?" We have too much experience and too many voices in our past and our present that remind us how far we fall short of some elusive level of perfection. We all need God's grace. We need to know that God makes us enough for what He invites us to accomplish. - Jul 30, 2023Others-centeredness Personified (Romans 15.1-13)
Others-centeredness Personified (Romans 15.1-13)
If I could only see a picture. If there were only a video. It seems when we have an example to follow it is easier to achieve the goal. In this section we have the prime example of unselfishness. As we look at Jesus and at how he accepts us as we are with all our faults, we should be able to accept others and their differences. The idea is not to just "live and let live." The idea is to accept one another and grow in love together, toward God and one another. - Jul 23, 2023Putting Others First (Romans 14:13-23)
Putting Others First (Romans 14:13-23)
It almost seems unfair at times to feel like we have to think of others. In our humanness, we wonder why no one thinks about us first. In a faith community that is characterized by loving one's neighbor as themselves, we ought to be concerned about others. On the one hand, it is wrong to let someone manipulate and control you. On the other hand, it is important that we do nothing that would hinder another person from growing and knowing more about Jesus. - Jul 16, 2023Focus on the Essentials (Romans 14:1-12)
Focus on the Essentials (Romans 14:1-12)
There were divisions in the Roman house churches. Often they fell along ethnic lines between the Jewish believers and the non-Jewish believers. Sometimes just like us, the first century Roman believers made issues of faith out of things that were issues of preference. If we are to truly love one another we need to learn to focus on the essentials and show grace with differences. - Jul 9, 2023What Love Looks Like (Romans 13:8-14)
What Love Looks Like (Romans 13:8-14)
As we have stated in the past this section of Romans is bookended by love. If God’s love is the most powerful force in our lives (Romans 8:37-39) then love should be the core motivating factor of our lives. Love is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s law and the one characteristic that we all take with us into eternity. - Jul 2, 2023Living Lovingly and Wisely as Citizens (Romans 13:1-7)
Living Lovingly and Wisely as Citizens (Romans 13:1-7)
As a “living sacrifice” whose mind is to be renewed so that I live transformed in my world, I must carry that reality over to my life as a citizen. The aspects of harmony and peace with others are key to our life as citizens. While we cannot and should not try to make a one to one comparison between First Century Rome and the 21st Century USA, there are still principles to understand and lessons to learn. - Jun 25, 2023A Lived Theology of Love (Romans 12:9-21)
A Lived Theology of Love (Romans 12:9-21)
These verses consist of a list of behaviors that reflect the outworking of a renewed mind. Imagine our own faith community in which we each sought to live in the ways outlined in this passage. Imagine our families, neighborhoods, workplaces, and local communities. Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he instructed us to be salt and light (see Matthew 5:13-16). - Jun 18, 2023A God Centered Self Concept (Romans 12:3-8)
A God Centered Self Concept (Romans 12:3-8)
When you look in the mirror who do you really see? Do you see a person who is created in the image of God? A person of immeasurable worth and value? A person who has been given a unique set of skills and abilities to serve God and others? A person who is humbled by God’s love and yet encouraged by God’s presence? As we learn to be living sacrifices, transformed by the renewing of our minds we develop a God-centered self concept - Jun 11, 2023Living Sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2)
Living Sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2)
How we respond practically to God's Mercy and Grace and Love is the theme of Romans 12-16. Today we begin to answer the fifth and final question in the book of Romans: "How should a follower of Jesus conduct themselves in this world?" We will learn in today's passage that it begins with a choice deep within the soul of each person to allow God to do a transforming work. And we will discover it is a constant process. - Jun 4, 2023A Sovereign God Who is Merciful (Romans 11)
A Sovereign God Who is Merciful (Romans 11)
In a survey of a lengthy chapter that deals with the interplay between God's people Israel and all who are not of Israel but still follow God we find the theme of mercy woven throughout the chapter. God's mercy accepts, and comes without conditions. It is available to all and a reason for great praise. - May 28, 2023A Sovereign God who is Accessible (Romans 10)
A Sovereign God who is Accessible (Romans 10)
Sometimes we can think that God is aloof, or at least inaccessible. When we talk about God being holy, righteous, and sovereign, it makes us feel that he is out of reach. What we will learn today is that throughout history God has actually made himself readily accessible to those who pursue him. And he still is. - May 21, 2023God’s Sovereignty and My Choices (Romans 9)
God’s Sovereignty and My Choices (Romans 9)
When it comes to God’s work in our world we need to guard against thinking that since God is in control what we do does not matter. The fact is that God does hold us each accountable for our choices, especially regarding our relationship with Him. However, God does have a plan and He will carry it out. We are each invited to be part of His plan, and he is pleased when we accept the
invitation. - May 14, 2023The Power of God’s Love (Romans 8:31-39)
The Power of God’s Love (Romans 8:31-39)
We often think of a mother's love as one of the most powerful forces. In one of the most familiar passages in the book of Romans, Paul reminds us that there is nothing on earth, heaven, or all the universe that can separate us from God's love. We each need this assurance each day and especially when life gets hard. - May 7, 2023The Best Is Yet To Come (Romans 8:18-30)
The Best Is Yet To Come (Romans 8:18-30)
When we look at our world strictly from a human perspective it is very easy to lose hope. Even the human interest stories that seem to wrap up the evening news, make us feel good for a moment but don't make a permanent difference in our mixed-up world. However, in the constant abiding presence of our God, we are assured that He has a plan that works in spite of all we wrestle with. God's goal is that we each be conformed to the likeness of Jesus.